ha ها
Tunisian Derja · particle
“ha” (ها) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning here is, there is.
Meanings
- here is, there is
- this, these (before the article)
- hey, huh (calling attention)
Usage
Ha is first used to present something, like "here is" or "there is". It combines with a pronoun: ha-hou "here he is", ha-hi "here she is", ha-houma "here they are". Attached to the article, it forms a short and very common demonstrative: hal-weld "this boy", hal-kalam "these words". It is a shortened form of hadha el-. Alone, ha is also used to call someone or to react, depending on intonation. Repeated, ha ha can represent written laughter. It should not be confused with the suffix -ha, which means "her" or "it".
Example
ها هو جا
ha-hou ja
“Here he is, he has arrived.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ha” but also “haa”, “hah” and “ha-hou”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.